close Exit Site If you are in crisis, please contact the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline via phone (1-800-799-SAFE), chat (TheHotline.org), or text (START to 88788), or contact 911 if it is safe to do so. Click EXIT SITE to leave this website immediately. If your device is monitored, consider clearing your browser history after visiting this website.
Donate Now Exit Site
Woman sitting on bench using her cell phone
Action Alert

The Crime Victims Fund (CVF) is the main source of federal funding for victim services, bu [Read More]

Take Action

STOP. THINK. CONNECT.

October 12, 2015

This article also appears on the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)’s Tech Safety blog.

The internet is such a big part of our lives. We bank, shop, watch movies, read the news, play games, and do a lot more. We also share a lot about ourselves online, whether it’s letting Sephora (and every online targeted advertiser) know that I’m currently looking for the perfect lipstick or sharing selfies of said perfect lipstick on Facebook. The internet knows a lot about us – just Google yourself. You might be surprised at how well-known you actually are.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) as well as National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). For survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault, online security and safety are imperative, but they’re also important for everyone.

NCSAM’s theme is STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Before you connect online, stop and think about your privacy and security. Who’s going to see that selfie on Facebook? Is your connection secure as you type in your credit card information to buy that perfect lipstick on Sephora’s website? (Tip: Check your Facebook privacy settings, and make sure you’re using an HTTPS connection when sharing sensitive financial information.)

To honor DVAM and NCSAM, we’ve put together a series of videos on Online Privacy & Safety. Below is today’s video, and for the next four days, we’ll be releasing a new video in this series (check back here daily or follow NNEDV on social media to see them all!). They’re short and sweet, and we hope they will be helpful.

Meanwhile, if you want more tips on surfing the internet safely, check out the “Online Privacy & Safety” section in our Safety Net team’s Toolkit for Survivors.